PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOGRAPHY, which stabbed painting in the back a century ago, continues to enlarge its influence and its foothold on the edge of the fine arts: it is the express intention of this year's show of the Institute of British Photographers to demonstrate the "sub- stantial contribution to all facets of our lives" made by their profession. Nearly 800 exposures fill the RBA rooms, present- ing a large variety of scene, but grouped for convenience and' selection for Awards of Merit into such categories as Industrial, Aerial, Architectural, Commercial: the camera records Ballachulish from the air (Charles Howard), the appearance of the Queen Elizabeth in dock (John McCormack), the look of a hat by Mr. Aagc Thaarup (George Miles), the Instrumental Insemina- tion of a Queen Bee (E. G. Phillippe). The photographer, whose instrument is quite impartial, need not confine himself to one subject: an award is earned by Maurice Broomfield, for example, with some excel- lent plates of industrial processes, but he can also, and with the same felicity, remark the contours of ribbed sea-sand; ballet dancers and racing motor-cars are equally interesting to Louis Klemantaski. Of almost anything a pleasing as well as an instructive photograph may be taken; but if photography is an art it is one, evidently, that does not noticeably develop. No one has much improved yet on the work of Mrs. Julia Cameron and David Octavius Hill.
CHRISTOPHER SMALL
Previous page
